Central College’s Eli Horton is the Iowa Conference men’s cross country runner of the week. Horton won the Dutch Invitational Saturday on the 6,000-meter course at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex in a time of 19 minutes, 17 seconds. He finished 12 seconds ahead of the runner-up and paced the Dutch to a team title with 16 points, just one point away from a perfect score.

This is the second time Horton has received performer of the week distinction. He was also recognized Sept. 2, 2011. Horton is building on a stellar rookie campaign that included a trip to the NCAA Division III championships last November. He was the top freshman finisher, placing 52nd in a 280-runner field. It’s the highest finish by a Central runner since 1994. The Dutch return to the course Saturday at the Grinnell Les Duke Invitational.